Chapter 14: Observing the fool

When they arrive at the manor, Li weiyu immediately open the door of the small carriage and extend his hand to help Zhen zoya down with a smile on his face.

Zhen zoya look at the extended hand with a doubtful look, 'why is he extending his hand with that annoying look on his face? He look like a fool. A suspicious one.' he thought.

Zhen zoya didn't take the hand went down on his own, he enter the manor with an arrogant look on his face and didn't bother to look back at Li weiyu.

Li weiyu who was ignored like an air was dumbfounded, ' what's wrong with him again? Why does his mood keep changing more than the weather?' he said and put the small carriage at the back of the manor.

'haysss... I still have a lot to do...' he sighed.

After some minutes, Li weiyu enter the the manor and found Zhen zoya sitting on a old looking wooden sofa. The wooden sofa looks like it will fall any minute and had some black patch. In front of him, was a old looking table that has some scratches on them.

Li weiyu look around and found out that every furniture in Zhen zoya's manor was old and made out of some cheap materials that probably only commoners use. The curtains was dirty and dusty, it even have some holes. There's no rug on the floor and there's even some greenish mold on the corners of the walls. The cabinets on the side was old and dusty. There's not even a single decorations or paintings in this manor.

Once again, Li weiyu feel a pain in his chest, 'how could they mistreat him so badly?' he said and quietly take the broom on the corner and start dusting the furniture. Again, he thought that Zhen zoya has the every right to be a villain after all the abused and neglect Zhen family did to him.

' I'm sure the manor of the other Zhen children and grandchildren were as luxurious as a palace. Those evil people!!' he said to himself and let out a sigh.

Sensing his thoughts system#17 warn him.

[Host, please remember the mission. Remember you're not here to help Zhen zoya eliminate the Zhen family but to help him change and guide him to a better future.]

' don't worry, I'm not forgetting.' he reassure his system.

He turned to Zhen zoya and ask if he needs anything but the youth just ignore him so he decided to clean first.

While his dusting the furniture, Zhen zoya was watching him. Everywhere he goes or whatever he touches, his eyes will follow.

He has a complicated feeling on his chest. Up until now, this servant of his wouldn't even bother to come to his manor to clean or help him with anything. He sometimes see him trying to get some favor from his other siblings like all his servants does.

Before, he atleast have 8 servants and 2 guards, but after successfully getting his sibling's favor, they all leave one by one. Now, he only have two servants, both not willing to serve him. He got used to it and manage to survive without anyone's help.

His manor slowly turn into a deserted abandoned manor because there's no servant who was willing to work for a unfavored waste like him.

But now, this servant suddenly came to his manor at early in the morning when his sickness was acting up and take care of him. He even clean all the furniture that he threw upside-down. He even bother to tire himself and made a small carriage just for him.

When he heard that there's a family meeting, he was preparing himself to be ridiculed and be laugh at because he doesn't have anything to give to the patriarch. But then, Li weiyu hand him the ginseng. When he was inside the meeting hall he was hesitating to give it to the patriarch because he doesn't know if it was fake or not. He thought that one of his siblings probably pay that servant to embarrass him.

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Inside the meeting hall.

"We greet the great patriarch!! May you live a hundred more years!!" All the members of the family said in unison bowing their head.

At the center of the main hall, sitting on the luxurious seat was the patriarch of the Zhen family, Zhen Bousho. On his right side two men was sitting next to him, they are his second and fourth younger brothers, Zhen Hitong and Zhen Moli. At the left side there are also two men sitting, they are his fifth and sixth younger brothers, Zhen Dao and Zhen Boyin.

They were originally eight of them but most of them had died early. Zhen Bousho has 2 wives and had a 2 daughters on the first and had 1 one son at the second. All of his children had already been married. He was already 98 yrs. Old and all of his hair had already turned white.

Zhen Hitong had 1 wife and 2 concubines. He had 2 son with his wife and had 2 daughters and 1 son with his first concubine. The second concubine had 2 miscarriages and finally died at her third miscarriage. He was 96 yrs. Old and also lost all his hair.

Zhen Moli had only 1 wife who he loves dearly but sadly died after giving birth to their second daughter. He was already 92 yrs. Old. 

Zhen Dao had 2 wives. He had 2 son with his first wife and 1 son on his second wife. He was already 91 yrs. old.

Zhen Boyin had 2 wives and 1 concubine. He had 1 daughter with his first wife and 2 daughters with the second wife. The concubine gave birth to 2 son so she was the most favored. 

All of them already has grandchildren. The oldest Zhen's grandchild was 26 yrs. old and the youngest was 5 yrs. old.

After the greeting each of them star presenting their gift to the patriarch as a sign of respect, each of them was secretly hoping that their gift will be like by the patriarch and be favored.

Most of the gifts were rare and precious medicines, powerful elixirs, beautiful and luxurious jades and vases and so on.

Zhen zoya was at the end corner of the hall away from the rest of the family. His birth mother was not present. Some of his half-siblings and cousins were looking at him with mockery, disdain and visible judging.

Some of the took a glance on the wooden box that he was holding and sneer. He was already used to it and ignore them.

'If that damn slave really conspire with one of my damn half siblings, I will immediately kick him out.' he said to himself throwing a look at the box his servant gave him.

"Lord patriarch, please accept this bone-strengthening elixirs that I acquired from Kan'an city. It was made by the great Cui Li himself." He heard one of his older halfbrother said and present three white porcelain small bottles on top of a golden tray.

There are various that came out of the people who were present. Some sneered, gasped and some murmur comments, only Zhen zoya was the only remained indifferent.

"Heh! Great Cui Li he said. Who he does he think he's deceiving."

"I'm sure his lying to get the favor of the patriarch. I mean everyone knows how difficult it is to approach the alchemist Cui Li"

"Yeah, I heard even the head of those huge families new to curry favor and kowtow to get a single pill."

The patriarch didn't say anything and only touch his beard then nod at him. That was already a positive response. 

The man who present the elixirs went back to his seat with a proud and self-satisfied smile. His mother also has the same expression.

After at all the treasures that was given to the patriarch, Zhen zoya start to hesitate to give the box that the servant gave him. He clench it and planned to hide it on his back. Then he heard a soft but loud girl voice.

"Oh my, it seems that older brother zoya also has a gift for the patriarch!" The soft and hig pitched was heard though the hall and everyone look at Zhen zoya.

Zhen zoya glared at his two face half sister, Zhen shifen. She has a fair small face, a perfect small nose, her eyebrows were like crescent moon, her lips were pink and plump, and her most dangerous weapon were her green round eyes that gives her an innocent look.

After being glared at by zhon zoya she tremble and snuggle with her older brother, Zhen Jiang that was beside her. " O-older brother don't be mad at shifen. I only thought that the patriarch might not notice it because your not giving it yet. I'm sorry." She said pitifully and shed tears.

'the patriarch might not notice it' Zhen zoya immediately knew the meaning behind shifen's words.

"You waste, how dare glare at my prescious daughter!!!" Zhen shifen's mother screech.

"You useless waste, you should be grateful that a-shi still care for you!!" Said of her older brother and point at Zhen zoya angrily.

" Jiang-ge please don't yell at big brother zoya anymore, the fault is mine." She said and sob at her mother's arm.

"A-shi you don't have to be kind to a ungrateful waste like him." Her mother said and coaxed her crying daughter.

"Enough!" Zhen Moli yelled and look at Zhen zoya. "Zhen zoya present your gift for the patriarch." He said.